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FBI arrests Punjab-linked fugitive Nitish Kaushal in Vermont
Kaushal was arrested days after the FBI added him to its most-wanted list.
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Ankita Baidya - Fri, 17, Jul 2026
- 04:20 EDT
- 14
Nitish Kaushal was arrested in Vermont in connection with an FBI racketeering investigation. / Unsplash
Gangster Nitish Kaushal, an Indian national wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his alleged role in a transnational criminal organization with roots in Punjab, has been arrested in Vermont, days after being added to the bureau's most-wanted list.
The FBI confirmed the arrest in a post on X on July 17, stating: "Nitish Kaushal has been arrested in Vermont."
Also read: FBI hunts for Indian national in transnational crime case
Kaushal, 26, who also goes by the alias "Lala," was taken into custody early Thursday by agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Swanton Sector, according to local media reports. The FBI's Albany Field Office thanked Border Patrol personnel for assisting in the arrest.
According to the FBI, Kaushal is accused of being associated with the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group, a transnational criminal network alleged to be involved in murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, firearms trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling. The bureau said the organization originated in Punjab and has operated in the Central District of California and other locations.
The U.S. Department of Justice has alleged that the Bhagwanpuria network maintains members and associates in India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, among other countries. Prosecutors have also linked the organization to narcotics and firearms trafficking in Southern California.
Federal authorities allege that Kaushal carried out kidnappings and assaults on behalf of the criminal organization. A federal arrest warrant was issued against him on June 25 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California after he was charged with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
New India Abroad previously reported that the FBI added Kaushal to its most-wanted list earlier this week as part of its ongoing investigation into the alleged criminal network.
His arrest comes amid the broader Operation Hard Ball investigation, a coordinated international law enforcement effort targeting the Bhagwanpuria organization and other India-linked transnational crime groups. The operation has involved agencies across the United States, Canada and Europe.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed three indictments charging 37 individuals with racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, firearms offenses and targeted killings linked to Indian organized crime syndicates. Authorities have announced more than two dozen arrests across multiple countries as part of the operation.
Among those named in the indictments are alleged gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, whom U.S. prosecutors accuse of directing criminal operations from prison in Gujarat, and his alleged associate Goldy Brar, also known as Satinderjeet Singh Brar. Brar remains at large, and the FBI has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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